[GUIDE] Rational disinfection
Rational disinfection is part of a global approach to eco-responsible cleaning. The aim is to provide a quality service that respects both occupants and the environment. Adopting a rational approach to disinfection means striking a delicate balance between visual cleanliness and microbiological cleanliness of surfaces. In other words, reasoned disinfection means selecting the degree of disinfection required to ensure patient safety, based on the risk of infection and the care provided in a given environment.
Cleaning, disinfection and biocleaning : a reminder of basic principles
Cleaning services in healthcare establishments are guided by the need to provide an environment in which patients, residents and visitors are not at risk of developing infections following visits, operations or medical consultations. This service, in the same way as care, is therefore designed around the control of this risk, known as the infectious risk.
In the healthcare sector, cleaning and disinfection play complementary roles in maintaining hygiene. Although different in purpose, they work together to effectively reduce the risk of infection, thus contributing to a safe and healthy environment.
Different but complementary functions
The aim of is to eliminate organic matter and achieve visual cleanliness. It eliminates 80-99% of germs after cleaning. According to the SF2H (Société Française d'Hygiène Hospitalière), "Cleaning is the essential preliminary step to sterilization or disinfection. The state of cleanliness obtained conditions the quality of subsequent sterilization or disinfection". For this reason, there can be no disinfection without cleaning. Cleaning requires the use of a detergent solution capable of loosening soils from surfaces.
According to the AFNOR NF T 72 101 standard, disinfection is an "Operation with a momentary result, making it possible to eliminate or kill microorganisms and/or inactivate undesirable viruses carried by contaminated inert media."
Like antibiotics and pesticides, disinfectants are designed to kill microorganisms. Its nature and composition determine its spectrum of activity, and can be bactericidal, fungicidal, virucidal and/or sporicidal.
Disinfection eliminates 99.999% of germs, but its effect on surface recontamination does not exceed 2 hours. Its action is not long-lasting, but ensures contamination control under given conditions.
Bionetting ensures visual and microbiological cleanliness.
It is obtained by combining 3 actions:
- Cleaning ;
- Disposal of the products used and the dirt to be removed;
- Application of a disinfectant.
Our quality approach in hospitals, clinics and healthcare establishments
New uses for the Sinner circle
In 1959, German scientist Herbert Sinner published a theory according to which 4 main interdependent factors influence the effectiveness of surface cleaning. :
- Mechanical action ;
- Chemical action;
- Temperature;
- Action time.
One of the parameters can be reduced or even eliminated, provided its action is offset by another factor. In this way, the result remains unchanged, but the methods may vary. With the evolution of resources, and on the basis of this theory, certain new cleaning techniques make it possible to do away with one of these parameters altogether: chemical action. Autoscrubbers, steam cleaners and microfibre cleaners are "zero chemistry" techniques that use mechanical action and temperature, without the use of products.
- Hot water
- Steam cleaners
- Detergent
- Paint stripper
- Descaler
- Operation time
- Single brush
- Scrub brush
- HP Cleaner
Disinfectants: use sparingly
In the healthcare sector, the use of disinfectants is a complex issue. Long used and recognized as indispensable for controlling the risk of contamination, they can have harmful effects on the health of staff and patients, and a consequent environmental impact.
New methods, standards and studies, however, demonstrate that disinfection can be achieved without the use of products, proving Sinner's theory.
Today, the use of disinfectants must be decoupled from the disinfection service, motivated by the need to control microbiological cleanliness, at a precise moment, on a precise surface.
The systematic use of disinfectants has an impact on human health: towards eco-responsible biocleaning
Over the long term, the daily use of chemicals and disinfectants has an impact on the health of employees and occupants alike. In the cleaning sector, numerous illnesses and prevalences are recognized: lung and skin irritation, dermatitis, asthma. These risks are managed by the use of personal protective equipment (gloves, masks, goggles).
It is therefore essential to strive for reduced use of our products, with a composition that is more respectful of users and the environment.
It is with this in mind that the eco-responsible biocleaning approach has been developed over the last few years. Limiting the use of chemicals in biocleaning without compromising the quality of our work. In this sense, the reasoned disinfection approach aims to limit disinfection to those services that require it, and to offer sufficient cleaning solutions to guarantee the cleanliness and safety of occupants for services that do not require increased risk control.
Combating antibiotic resistance: a major challenge
Resistant bacteria (BHRe, BMR) are a major public health problem. Their resistance to common antibiotics complicates treatment and could ultimately lead to therapeutic impasse. In the cleaning sector, the improper and/or massive use of disinfectants has an impact on the development of bacterial resistance. This phenomenon is explained by the overexposure of pathogens to a misused biocide. Repeated exposure of a molecule to a bacterium leads, over the long term, to genetic mutation mechanisms resulting in increased survival resistance to the biocide.
The scope of our biocleaning services extends beyond controlling the cleanliness of our premises. The choice of products and methods has an impact on our environment.
A significant environmental impact
Industrial disinfectants and detergents are disposed of in effluent to wastewater treatment plants. The quantity and biocidal power of these products prevent their degradation by the natural microorganisms on which wastewater treatment principles are based. Discharges of disinfectants and certain industrial detergents bio-accumulate in the sludge and residual water of wastewater treatment plants. These persistent biocidal residues can interact with organic matter in soil, water and air, generating highly toxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic compounds.
Our approach to rational disinfection: high-performance solutions that respect people and the environment and are tailored to risk management.
The rational use of disinfectants is therefore a necessary step towards preserving the environment and the health of users, occupants, patients and residents. This involves thinking in terms of both needs and means.
Does the surface need to be disinfected to protect the environment? If so, is it possible to replace the use of a disinfectant with a chemical-free method? If the surface does not need to be disinfected, which method is best suited to the environment?
Washing floors with scrubber-driers or microfibres
Hospital hygiene guidelines specify that floors are not surfaces representing a contamination risk.
Floor cleaning outside sensitive areas (operating theatres, sterilization departments, intensive care units, etc.) ensures satisfactory visual cleanliness, as well as sufficient microbiological cleanliness to control the risk of infection.
In this sense, disinfection with a biocide is neither necessary nor recommended. Returning to Sinner's circle, the use of a detergent product, if possible ecologically responsible (ecolabel, ecocert), can even be replaced by reinforced mechanical action. Autoscrubbers and microfibres are solutions that favor mechanical action over chemical action, while still providing an effective service.
After wet sweeping the floors, we use a microfiber pre-impregnated with water. The microfiber has abrasive and capillary retention properties, ensuring that dirt is loosened and trapped within the fibers. To take things a step further, this technique has demonstrated visual and microbiological cleanliness results similar to those obtained after washing floors with detergent.
Microfibre offers environmental benefits, as it reduces chemical consumption. It requires very little water when pre-impregnated, and its low weight reduces RSI.
When it comes to mechanized floor cleaning,the mechanical action of rotating scrubber-drier discs is all that's needed to ensure effective surface cleaning. In addition to saving water and chemicals, water-based floor cleaning also reduces the amount of dirt and grime deposited by visitors. Suppliers also offer water transformation technologies that enhance the detergency of water through additional mechanical action (nanobubbles, electrolyzed water, etc.).
Bionic steam cleaning
In certain environments, on surfaces known to be a vector for contamination, the neutralization of pathogens remains the order of the day. Elevator buttons, door handles, sanitary fittings... are all heavily used and contaminated. Ensuring the safety of people, patients and occupants therefore depends on the effectiveness of the chosen method. In operating theatres and patient rooms, disinfection is essential. They can be carried out with disinfectants, or with methods that limit the use of chemicals. The use of steam enables effective disinfection, while avoiding the use of biocide.
It ensures the absence of chemicals to protect employees and eliminate effluent discharges, but also :
- Saving water;
- Detergent and disinfectant action in a single pass;
- The quality of the visual cleanliness of the treated surfaces;
- Steam is effective against a broad spectrum of microorganisms (non-sporicidal);
- Use on a wide range of substrates and coatings
Bionettoyage is carried out by teams trained in protocols, devices and conditions of use. Certification to the NFT 72 110 standard ensures the spectrum of efficiency determined and required in the healthcare sector.
Conclusion
Adopting a rational disinfection approach means creating a safe and clean clinical environment, but also preserving the health of those on the front line of our healthcare system, while protecting the environment. It is part of a global approach to eco-responsible biocleaning, the aim of which is to reduce the chemical impact of our services on the environment. This requires the thoughtful application of knowledge and resources, ensuring maximum protection and minimum impact. Safety, efficiency and sustainability are at the heart of this approach.
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